


Contact

by NixKat



Category: Ben 10 Series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Family, Gen, Kidnapping, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-12
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-20 22:11:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2444981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NixKat/pseuds/NixKat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Feeling miserable after his energy induced rampage Kevin calls his favorite cousin over for a visit. But when Casey Jones is in town things won't be peaceful for the Osmosian, especially since a certain villain is sceaming.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. House Calls

**Author's Note:**

> My first fanfic!

BRIINNG! BRIINNG! BRII—the ringing stopped as a gloved hand picked it up off of the receiver. Brushing aside some of his long dark locks he brought the phone up to his ear. He continued to curl the weight in his other hand.

“Yo, you got Casey Jones.” The brunette answered, his broad shoulders stiffened slightly with anxiety. He closed his baby blue eyes and braced himself for the worst.

_“Hey… cuz,”_ the voice on the other end of the line sounded a bit drained, but alive. Casey let out a breath that he hadn’t known he was holding. _“Can you… do you mind comin’ over to visit for a few days. I—I need someone to talk to that I didn’t tr—try to—try to …”_ The voice trialed off, unable to finish the sentence.

“Bro, your family, of course I don’t mind stoppin’ over for a bit,” Jones replied, _I’m just glad your still breathing lil’ bro_ , he added in his thoughts. “Today’s Thursday right? I’ll drive over tomorrow afternoon and stay the weekend. Don’t fugget to tell your ma, ok?”

“Yeah… see ya later.” The caller hung up on his end and Casey put the phone back on the receiver. The tall well built man placed the weight on the coffee table and rose from his old slightly ratty couch. Jones stretched a bit before heading to his room to pack for the trip.

Merrowww…

In another state, a younger man sat his cell phone on his night table and flopped bonelessly on the bed next to it. Memories of the past few weeks flitted by as his obsidian eyes stared at the ceiling. He remembered the violence, the destruction, the pain he caused, and the people he hurt… and they—they still trusted him. For Pete’s sake he had fought them, tried to kill them, hunted them and even tried to—tried to **feed** on them!

But—but they—no Gwen never gave up on him, she managed to save him from his instincts, from his rage—from himself. And afterwards they acted as if nothing happened! No jail time, no being held for observation, no being put on probation, no grounding, hell, the only one who actually got upset was Gwen’s dad! Even then they stuck up for him, said he was out of his mind at the time. The teen covered his face with his large calloused hands; he didn’t deserve people like that… monsters like him didn’t deserve such good friends.

Then why did he call his older cousin and ask—no _beg_ him to visit?

Kevin Levin couldn’t really answer that question. The young Osmosian began to feel the toll of his energy-induced rampage on his body; weeks without eating or sleeping, and then being drained of the energy that was keeping him going definitely wasn’t good for him. Soon darkness took him and brought nightmares with it.


	2. Concern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kevin gets some comfort from his mom. Casey has to apologize before he can go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Casey is seven years older than Kevin, and eight years older than the turtles, Ben, and Gwen.

_Stupid sun_. The raven haired hybrid inwardly groaned. Half awake he pressed one of the light gray pillows a bit harder over his eyes trying to ignore the beginnings of a headache. He was failing miserably; the throbbing in his skull increased and, oddly, seemed to echo in his lower back. The sunlight pouring through the partially open blinds wasn’t helping. Kevin could literally feel the photons dancing across the exposed skin of his powerful body in little rows. Unable to get back to sleep, he sat up and began to rub his temples and lower back in a vain attempt to try and relieve the building pressure.

Since his usual outfit had been ruined from his… recent transformation, he got some of the new clothes that he and his mother had bought when he had ended up as a mixed media freak awhile ago to put on after he got out of the shower. With the migraine he was having he just grabbed a black muscle shirt and gray cargo pants. After shedding the tattered remains of his jeans and briefs he turned the water on as hot as possible and stepped in. The young Osmosian stayed under the curtain of water, enjoying the heat till the water ran cold.

Kevin was feeling a little better; the steaming water had soothed his muscles and his migraine had lessened some. He quickly dried and dressed and headed to the sink for a quick comb. He really needed it since he hadn’t done any sort of maintenance to his raven locks in the past few weeks. While looking for his comb he caught a glimpse of his face out the corner of his eye—and froze.

Levin turned his head and faced the mirror over the sink directly.

The ex-con stared at his reflection. The eyes in the mirror were ringed in black, the color was much fainter than the ones from his childhood, but it still meant the same thing. Those markings were the tale-tell signs of an Osmosian that’s absorbed energy recently. But, when had he…? Kevin stiffened as the answer came to him, the shower! How long had he enjoyed that hot water… or for that matter how long had he been lying in bed, not quite awake with sunlight dancing on his skin? The pressure was starting to build up again in his head and spine.

“Oh fuck me!” he snarled.

Merrowww…

  _The sounds of traffic rose from the streets, filling alleyways and sliding up walls into the night sky.  Across the rooftops a figure patrolled, searching his territory for them. The ones who hurt him… who broke his family… who ruined his career…who pissed him off!  The beast saw in shades of red; criminals: crooks, hoods, robbers, drug dealers, murders, rapists, even purse snatchers, they would pay. He would make ALL of them pay!_

_He stopped near the top of a fire escape. In the alley below a mugging was beginning to take place. From the tattoos he could spot on two of the muggers the vigilante easily identified them as some of his favorite prey—Purple Dragons. A feral grin spread across his face hidden by the fixed white snarl of his mask, as he crept down closer to the action one of the crooks asked the woman for her purse as his friends cut off any means of escape. Then they started closing in._

_“GOONGALA!” he roared, leaping from the balcony directly above the muggers and their would-be victim. The last thing the gangbanger saw was a bone faced demon dropping from the sky as 225+ pounds of muscle and sports equipment drove a softball bat into his skull with a very satisfying CRUNCH. The other two stood frozen for a few seconds, giving him time to return the lady’s bag and take out his hockey stick. The woman ran as the other two hoods rushed the beast. He wasn’t in the mood to play with his victims tonight; there was no witty banter nor any bad sports puns as he rode the rush of anger and adrenalin. The thrill the fight was intoxicating. His hockey stick disarmed them and tripped them and he used his bat to pummel them. Bones cracked, skin bruised, and organs ruptured as the metal instrument continued to swing._

_Eventually the demon stopped, breathing heavily, his fury having ebbed and the bodies having long ceased twitching. …um what, bodies? Oh… shit! Oh, shit! Oh Shit! I didn’t mean to—_

_“Casey?!” The vigilante turned and was surprised at what he saw. Underneath his hockey mask his face flushed red with shame. His fiancé stood in front of him clutching his daughter close to her chest, both of them pale with fear. Wait? ...what were they doing here? And when did they show up? Surrounding them were the turtles, whose faces showed varying degrees of shock and disgust._

_“What?” he asked slightly confused at their expressions._

_“Wadda ya mean ‘what?’ look at ‘cha! You look like you just stepped outta horror flick.” Raphael pointed out. The red bandana wearing turtle’s glared at him with a look of utter disgust and quite a bit of hatred. The vigilante looked down; his clothes and gear were splattered crimson and gore stuck to his bat. His eyes widened at the realization._

_“Shit! I—I didn’t mean to—I—I think I lost it for a bit.” He tried to explain, know that it didn’t excuse his rage fueled crimes._

_“I—I’m sorry Casey b—but I can’t marry you. You could—could do that to us too.” The redhead stammered clutching his little girl closer as she backed away from him._

_“But Ape I would never--” He began, taking a step forward._

_“You’d never what Jones?” Donatello asked placing himself between them and removing his bo staff from its harness._

_“I’d never hurt them.” The vigilante quietly replied, barley noticing that he was being surrounded by the brothers._

_“How can we trust you, dude? You obviously couldn’t rein in that temper like you promised Raph.” Michelangelo pointed out, gesturing towards the three ex-Dragons. The turtle took out his nunchuto while Raph did the same with his sai._

_“Sorry it had to come to this,” Leonardo said as he drew his katana. “But we can’t let a mad dog like you roam around hurting people. You’re a friend, so we’ll make it quick as possible.”_

_“Wait…!” Behind the glaring mask blue eyes widened as the turtles charged…_

………

Casey Jones shot up it bed, panting and drenched in sweat. He let out a sigh of relief that that had only been some deranged nightmare. He looked over to the other side of the king sized bed that he shared with his fiancé—only to remember that she wasn’t there.

The past few weeks had been so stressful; he had been in a foul mood ever since his aunt had told him what had happened to his little cousin and April had caught onto it and kept bugging him to talk about it. Since his little cousin had virtually sworn the hotheaded vigilante in to secrecy the first time he ever spoke about what was eating him he couldn’t tell his future wife anything without breaking that fragile bond of trust. That had led to several fights over the last week with his temper growing with each one. Then what control he had gained over his temper had started to break; the other night during patrol he had stopped a mugging but had continued to thrash the punks even after they had surrendered. Raph and Mikey had to pull him off of them before he did something permanent; in a blind rage he had lashed out at them as well, the mutant turtles had to hold him down till he could think straight. When he had gotten back to the apartment he and April shared, she had confronted him about it and he lost it for a sec—he didn’t hurt her, he would never hurt either of his girls, but the wall next to her had taken some damage.

Since then Ape had taken Shadow with her and they had been staying over with the turtles; April helping out with retrieving Splinter’s data bits and Mikey babysitting Shadow.  She was giving him time to cool off before they came back home. Everyone else was also encouraging him to take a break from vigilante action for a little while (translation: get a hold of yourself before you kill somebody.) and he was sure that Leo and Raph were occasionally checking in on him every now and again ninja style.

Flopping back down on the bed, the brunette sighed. He definitely had to apologize before he left.

_Damn_.

He hated apologizing.

Merrowww…

“Kevin, sweetie are you ok?” his mother asked from the other side of his bedroom door. After his discovery in the bathroom he had returned to room and locked the door. His mother had probably heard his curse or the porcelain of the sink crack under his grip or his knocking several things to the floor in his room in his panic and fury.

“Yea mom, I’m fine.” The young Osmosian weakly replied. The truth was anything but. He sat in the middle of his bed curled into the fetal position, calloused fingers griping his bare muscular arms so tightly that they were leaving white marks.  His emotions were a maelstrom of anger, fear, and self-loathing. Memories of the past few weeks came back to him and his feelings could no longer be suppressed.

The raven haired woman was not convinced. She put her ear to the door and listened; she could faintly hear him sobbing. Her heart ached for him; using a pin and one of her old IDs she opened the door. Her son sat in the dark, blinds shut and curtains closed, the room looking like it had gotten another good thrashing. She climbed on his bed and tried to comfort him.

For a few minutes they stayed that way. His mother hugging him, rubbing his powerful back while crooning softly in English and Osmosian. His sobs stopped and his grip slackened.

“Better?” she asked, moving in front of him. Kevin nodded weakly keeping his face buried in his brawny arms. The woman raised a dark eyebrow at him.

“Kevin?” He kept his head down, knowing she would be ashamed of him.

“Kevin Ethan Levin…” she began sternly. He groaned and tilted his head up. The raven haired teen flinched at her sharp inhalation and his eyes darted away from hers.

“Look at me.” She commanded and slowly his obsidian eyes locked with hers. Mrs. Levin knew all to well what the dark markings around his eyes meant. The rings weren’t anywhere near as dark as they had been in his childhood, more of a faint brown than jet black. His eyes were clear not glazed over, so whatever he had absorbed it hadn’t been very much or very potent. She breathed a sigh of relief. This confused the hybrid.

“Aren’t you mad at me?”

“Did you do it on purpose?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No, but I sti—“

“If it was an accident there’s no need to beat yourself up about it, just don’t do it again,” She interrupted, hugging him tightly. “But I am worried about you, ok? Now come on and get some breakfast, I know you haven’t been eating properly.” She stood up and he uncurled himself. The scents of the kitchen wafted into his room and his stomach growled loudly.

“Well that settles it.” She smiled, dragging him out of the room. He couldn’t help smiling a little back at her.

Merrowww…

_“….Why can’t you just tell me?!” The redhead asked, getting angry over her fiancé’s recent mood swings and evasiveness with everyone._

_“I just can’t April!” Jones nearly shouted back. He turned to leave the bedroom, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides and nostrils flared. Part of her knew that she should have let him go cool off, but another part that was curious and frustrated and angry wouldn’t give up._

_The redhead grabbed the brunette’s shoulder…_

_… She was pressed into the hall wall, green eyes wide. Her anger drained away and was quickly replaced by fear; the much larger man’s hands slammed into the wall on either side of her, she flinched a bit when she heard drywall crack under his palms. He leaned over and looked her in the eye. The vigilante’s expression was dark; his body trembled with barely contained rage, and his blue eyes were as cold as an arctic glacier._

_“Casey?” she asked quietly, deep down in the primal monkey-part of her brain something told her that stopping him was a very, very bad idea._

_“Grrrrrrrrr….” He **growled** in response, his icy gaze narrowed. The hairs on the back of April’s neck stood on end and she had the impression of being stared at by a feral beast. _

_“Casey?” she repeated again in a soft voice. This time he blinked and expression softened slightly, his brow furrowed a bit in confusion as if he just woke from a trance. Jones dropped his eyes looking ashamed (O’Neil absently wondered how the brunette got through life in New York wearing his heart on his sleeve) and he turned away._

_“Ape… I can’t. I—I promised someone that I’d keep his secrets… an’ if I told ‘em he’d never trust me again. I gave my word an’ if I break that I’m no better than half the scum in this city…_

“April?” the redhead snapped out of her thoughts and turned back to the monitors that she was supposed to be watching.

“Sorry Don, I was daydreaming a little.” She apologized as she looked over the cybernaut’s stats. Together they had made a good amount of progress in capturing Splinter’s data bits; they might just be able to bring the old rat back a few days before the wedding. While they worked Donatello’s younger orange bandana wearing brother and Serling babysat Shadow, with the robot taking her place occasionally so she could care for the three year old. “You want to stop for now and take a break?”

 “Sure.” The purple clad turtle answered, a few seconds later he was transported back into the physical world. The fair skinned human got up from the terminal and stretched.

“Let’s go see how the kids are holding up.”

……………

Fresh out of the shower, Casey Jones dried his tanned well built body with an old mahogany towel. The 24-year-old finger combed his shoulder length black locks as they air dried. Trying to look halfway presentable for later he dressed in a pair of faded black jeans with a rust colored button up that he left untucked. Jones slipped on a pair of not to worn deep green sneakers before he took his bags to his garage. There he loaded them into the trunk attachment for his bike. Back in his and April’s shared apartment he grabbed a black trench coat that Angel got him after his last one had kicked the bucket (she said this one made him look a lot more terrifying) and locked the place up.

 It took him less than two minutes and at least 14 moving violations to get to the turtle’s warehouse. Casey made sure to take a few twists and turns down the city’s many alleys to lose anyone who might have tried to follow him.

Jones pulled up to the door and pulled the cover up on a small box on the wall next to it. He removed a cut off biker glove and placed his bare calloused hand on the reveled scanner. The machine made a ‘PING’ sound as it recognized him and unlocked the door. He leaned over and raised the sliding door. He parked his motorcycle next to Raphael’s Shell-Cycle and left his trench coat on it. Casey strolled over to the middle of the room, crouching he pressed a rectangular tile with strange symbols on it, then he stood up and waited for the elevator. This came very quickly out of the floor behind the odd tile. He entered the dome shaped structure and rode it down to the lair, suddenly having the idea that he probably should have brought some flowers or something for Ape. Groaning he slapped his forehead with his palm for being such an idiot.

…………

Within the lair a little blond girl, a little more than a toddler, looked up from her toys as she heard a strange noise. She looked up at the giant grey robot watching over her.

“Misser Serlin, somebody’s atta door.” She said. The large automaton’s optical sensors swiveled over to the large symbol door a yard or two away from them.

“Indeed there is young mistress.” He replied, blue and yellow ‘eyes’ narrowing, as he prepared to move Shadow. The two turtles on the other side of the room with Mistress O’Neil readied their weapons as the door slid open.

Shadow on the other hand had different ideas.

As soon as she identified the tall dark shape behind the elevator door she toddle-ran away from the machine’s clutches towards the elevator as fast as her little feet could take her. Hands stretched up she shouted:

“Daddy!”    

“There’s my little troublemaker!” he answered, swiftly picking the three year old up so that she could hug his neck, while he entered the room.

“Casey?!—You scared us half to death—Oh, Master Jones.—What are you wearing dude?” exclaimed/asked the other occupants in the room. They actually made so much noise that the other two brothers interrupted their sparring secession to see what was happening.

“Hey guys.” He said, smiling sheepishly as he maneuvered his daughter so that he could have one hand free as she played with his hair.   

“Sup, Case. You look cheerful this mornin’.” The red bandannaed turtle greeted his friend in his Brooklyn accent, though the much taller human was pretty sure the mutant had never been there in his entire life. Everyone else also noticed how happy the vigilante seemed after almost a month of gloom, worry, and irritation that had seemed to ooze from him.

“Oh, right…um,” Jones started, looking away out of shame. “Sorry about actin’ like such an ass the past few weeks.” He apologized, earning a few frowns at his phrasing. Meanwhile, Shadow giggled a bit at his words. His free hand nervously rubbed the back of his neck; these sorts of things were not his strong suit.

“Don’t worry about it, Casey; everybody tends to get a little antsy worrying about family.” The purple clad genius reassured him. The elder Jones’s head snapped around as he gaped a bit at the second oldest turtle.

“I did a little investigating and developed a few conclusions from what I was able to dig up.” The mutant shrugged.

“I also wanted to let everybody know that I was going away for the weekend to… visit family.” He told them as the bo wielding turtle nodded as if the vigilante had confirmed something he had been thinking. Casey handed over his little girl to her favorite uncle, and then he gestured to his fiancé to go to the lab with him.

They needed to talk, alone.


	3. Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen, Ben, and Julie go to check on Kevin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains some mild stuffing.

Drip. Drip. Drip. The sewer corridor was filled with an almost awkward silence. April watched the large man standing across from her looking as nervous as a teenager at their first school dance. Every so often he would raise his head, looking like he was about to say something only drop his gaze again. He looked so… fragile; the redhead hadn’t seen him like this, since he showed up at her door in the middle of the night with a week old infant.

“A—Ape?” She was brought out of her thoughts by his voice. He was watching her with an expression that for once she couldn’t quite place.

“Yes, Casey?” O’Neil responded, watching him as he watched her. Jones took a deep breath to steel his nerves.

“The other day,” He started, looking for the words even as he spoke. “I—I lost control. I was so… so fucking mad that I—I just had to hit somethin’ or hurt someone. I’m not excusin’ nothin’ Ape, I’m a dangerous guy and I could hurt ya real bad if I lose it like that again. If you don’t wanna marry me anymore I can have my stuff packed by the end of next week.”

April could finally understand what she saw on his face. It was some strange combination of fear, hope, loss, and… acceptance. He was afraid of loosing her and wanted her to stay with him, but also understood if she would rather go and find someone safer. The redhead sighed and gave the brunette a small smile.

“Casey, what happened the other night was partially my fault, too.” She moved closer to as she spoke. The male opened his mouth to protest but she continued. “You were close to the edge, but you tried to walk away. At the time I was being just as angry and stubborn as you were, you were going to do the right thing but I didn’t let you.” Circling her arms around his neck she finished, “So, Casey Jones, I’m apologizing as well. Do you forgive me?”

“’Course babe, I could never stay mad at cha.” Casey replied, his arms snaking around her slim waist.

“And Case, I can hold my own in a fight you know. So don’t worry too much about me, if I need to I can just kick your butt.” She added teasingly. Standing on her tiptoes the redhead kissed him on the lips.

“So does this mean the weddin’s still on?” The brunette asked playfully. Rolling her emerald eyes she answered by pulling in for a deeper kiss.

Merrowww…

Kevin fingered the padlock hanging from his neck, absorbing and shedding its steel as he stared at the wall socket before him. It was a technique for controlling cravings that Kwarrel taught him (the memory of his large green-skinned mentor gave the hybrid a dual pang of loss and guilt), if the urge to absorb energy was too strong absorb something non-harmful till the feeling passed. In a show of great will power the brunette was able to force himself to stand and get back to his task.

His mother had been ecstatic to hear that his cousin was coming to visit, she asked him to ready the guest room after he finished breakfast and to clean his own room while he was at it. He fixed up the guest room first, since there wasn’t much to do in there, and he had been moving a few spare tires out of the way when he had noticed how close he was to the outlet. The Osmosian could sense the powerful electric current flowing behind the paint and drywall so tantalizingly close to the surface behind the rectangular plastic. Kevin growled softly, chiding himself, as lethargically picked up and put away the rest of his things.

Finally finished, the hybrid plopped heavily on the freshly made bed rubbing his large taunt round belly. He half smirked remembering the meal…

_“Mom… how long were you up cooking all of this?” Kevin asked, eyeing the many dishes that covered the kitchen table. Fried bacon, sausage, and hash browns sat next to plates stacked high with pancakes and waffles dripping with butter and maple syrup. A very large plate contained eggs in the forms of a few large omelets, deviled eggs, scrambled eggs with cheese, and raw eggs still in the shell. Next to it sat a serving bowl containing a mixed salad of dark leafy greens, peas in the pod, chopped broccoli and pickled okra, shredded carrots and almonds, and sliced tomatoes; a bottle of Ranch dressing placed beside it. A platter of fresh fruits and berries sat to the left of the veggies on the wood table. The entire feast arranged around a serving bowl filled to the brim with one of his childhood favorites, cheesy grits mixed with garlic mashed potatoes._

_“I was so happy to have you back home I couldn’t sleep,” She explained, watching as her son dramatically closed his eyes and took in the scents of her cooking. “So I called up an old friend, an Osmosian healer, and asked him some questions about… um…”_

_“About what do facing a relapse.” He stated, the Osmosian’s voce dark almost a growl. Turning his head away he sighed, broad shoulders drooping. “So what did he say?”_

_“The best advice he could give me was to make sure you weren’t absorbing energy,” Kevin winced as she pushed him towards the table. “And if you did, to make sure you have opportunities to burn it off.” The raven haired woman smirked; her nephew would definitely help him in that department._

_“Sora told me to check that you got enough sleep,” She continued, fixing a plate for herself. “Also since you most likely haven’t eaten the past few weeks you need to restore your body’s health. Being full helps lessen cravings, too._

_“So I want you to fill up all three of those stomachs of yours right now,” She said in a false stern voice, playfully poking his flat firm abs. His belly growled as if agreeing with her. “Try keeping at least one of them full for the next few days, okay?”_

_“Sure, I can do that.” Kevin answered, pulling the plate pilled high with bacon, sausage, and hash browns closer…_

He belched quietly, rubbing slow circles to relieve some of the pressure the three stuffed organs in his abdomen where exerting. The Osmosian fell asleep, a rough calloused hand resting on the exposed pale skin around his navel just below where the black fabric of his snug muscle shirt had ridden up.

Merrowww….

VOORRRMMMM. There was no other sound but the purr of his bike and the roar of the wind rushing past his ears. Casey Jones’s shoulder blade length dark hair waved behind him as he drove along the highway going at least thirty miles faster than the speed limit. Weaving between cars, trucks, and trailers his mind sharp and focused attentive of his surroundings in a way that only a good fight or game could cause.

Only hours earlier he made up with his fiancé (finding out that she very much enjoys the easy access of button up shirts) and played with his daughter. Saying his goodbyes to his friends before heading out.

In a few more hours he’ll arrive in Bellwood. The brunette gave a broad grin, excited to find out how much his little cousin has grown.

Merrowww….

Fifteen minutes. It’s been fifteen minutes since the school day ended. The auburn haired girl had not seen hide nor hair of her bad boy boyfriend. She was starting to worry, usually his black striped green muscle car sat in the school’s parking lot while he waited in it or on it for her to come out of the building. Even when he was running late the raven haired teen always called ahead to tell her so.

The redhead had been looking forward to their afterschool pickup ritual after his weeks of absence while lost in his rage and insanity. The bruises and scratches he had given her last night after he’d lost the last shred of his sanity still ached. The emerald eyed girl hoped that he wasn’t beating himself up over it.

Taking out her cell phone she dialed his number. When he didn’t pick up after the sixth or seventh ring she hung up and called again. She was met with the same results so she called her cousin.

“Ben can you come pick me up?” she asked.

_“Kevin hasn’t picked you up yet?”_ He asked back.

“No and he isn’t answering his phone either.” Gwen replied.

_“I’ll be there in five minuets.”_ He said before he hung up.

…………..

Gwen knocked on the door, Ben and his girlfriend Julie behind her, Julie was wearing Ship in backpack mode. After searching the Osmosian’s usual hideouts they eventually wound up at his mother’s house.  Ben and Julie had been planning to visit the Plumber’s Kids to make sure they were okay. During his energy induced rampage Kevin had badly injured them in pursuit of their powers; he had attempted to do the same to her soon after she had confronted him. The Anodite agreed to tag along with the couple after they found their missing teammate.

“Coming!” a female voice called from behind the door. In seconds it opened reveling Kevin’s mother dressed in a sleeveless gray top and dark purple shorts. Gwen was soon glomped by the taller woman. “Hello Gwen!” The raven haired woman greeted the ruby haired teen. Letting go of the young woman Mrs. Levin turned to her companions. “Ah, you must be Ben….and you’re Julie, correct?” She asked.

“Yes ma’m. Nice to meet you.” The Japanese-American said, shaking the older woman’s hand.

“Hi, Mrs. Levin…uh same here.” The brown haired boy said, more than a little nervous to meet his best friend’s mother especially since he had been willing (and trying) to kill her only child just last night.

“Well come in all of you, have a seat.” The dark haired woman said, ushering the teens into her home.

………….

“Thanks,” Gwen said taking a sip from the tea the older woman made for them. The Levin sat on a large lazy chair near the couch where the teens were seated. “We actually came by to check on Kevin, we haven’t seen or heard from him all day.”

“That’s nice,” Mrs. Levin said, taking a sip of her tea. “He’s been in his room catching up on his sleep most of the day.” She turned her head toward the hall and stairs beyond and sighed. “He’s been really upset about what happened; his favorite cousin is coming over for the weekend to cheer him up, but I also think hanging out with his friends might help him feel better, too.” She hinted.

“That sounds like a good idea, Mrs. Levin.” Gwen agreed, setting her cup on the table. Julie thanked the older Levin for the tea as she and Ben both followed the redheaded girl to the Osmosian’s room.

………………

The last time Gwen had been in Kevin’s room it had been a mess, the crazed teen had ransacked it while searching for a way into the Null Void in order to take revenge against Morgg, the Anodite suppressed a shudder at the memory of how bloodthirsty and ruthless the Osmosian had been while under the influence of energy. Now, however, the room was quite neat: the weights were all moved to one corner and car parts and tires in another, all the dirty clothes had been put in a hamper and all the trash in a bin, clearing up the floor space. Kevin himself was sprawled on the bed, a rough hand resting on his firm flat abs.

“I never pegged Kevin as a blue person.” Julie commented, seeing the older teen’s room for the first time. Gwen inwardly agreed with her, everything about his room seemed to fit the Osmosian except the color scheme, he tended to wear and drive things that were either black, grey, or green while the room was mostly… blue.

“Ship, ship.” Her pet/friend Galvanic Mechamorph also added his two cents as it played with Kevin’s weights.

“Kevin.” Gwen called, taking a seat on the bed next to her boyfriend. “Kevin, wake up.” She said a bit louder, shaking his shoulder when he didn’t respond.

“I could turn into WaterHazard and give him a good soak if you want.” Ben playfully suggested.

“Do it and your dog meat, Tennyson.” Came from the larger teen, still looking as if he were asleep. Eyes still closed, he sat up and stretched out his powerful back and arms. The Osmosian rubbed his eyes before looking around. The Anodite thought the dark bags under them made him look like he hadn’t slept in weeks… which now that she thought about it was very likely. She frowned a bit when he edged away from her a few inches. “Um… what’s everybody doing in my room?” He asked somewhat bewildered.

“We came to find you, since you didn’t pick Gwen up and you weren’t answering your phone.” The male Tennyson replied. “You trying to come with us to the Los Soledad base?” He asked.

“Sure.” the older male yawned.


	4. Convalescing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Casey arives in Bellwood. The team take a trip to Los Solidad.

The car ride was horrible, not the worst one he ever had, but it was right up there. Three factors were contributing to the unpleasantness of the ride. 1) He wasn’t driving, 2) he was sitting next to Gwen (normally not a bad thing, but not today), and 3) he was having some really, really bad cravings.

See, Gwen, she’s an Anodite, albeit one in human flesh. Anodite’s are energy beings, made of manna—a sort of life energy. Kevin can (and he suspected the same was true for other Osmosians) sense energy, normally this wasn’t a problem when he was… for lack of a better term ‘on the wagon’, but now it was very distracting. Gwen, though still weakened from him feeding on her while he had been a rampaging beast, felt like a thunderstorm to his senses.

He fingered the lock hanging from his neck, absorbing and shedding the metal trying to keep his mind off her… **_delicious_** … manna. The Osmosian growled at the dark thought, Gwen is _not_ delicious.    ** _Yes, yes she is and you damn well know it._** His darker side answered from the back of his mind. _You know what I—never mind. I’m not going to argue with a voice in my head, that would just make me look crazy_. **_Riiiight, because explaining yourself to a voice in your head is less crazy than arguing with it._** The voice retorted, somehow smirking cockily. The Osmosian pointedly refused to respond; instead he rubbed his temples in a vain attempt to reduce his building migraine.  

“You okay back there?” the Levin looked up to see the brunette Tennyson watching him a bit warily through the rearview mirror. A quick glance around the vehicle revealed the females also giving him concerned looks. “You were growling, very loudly.” Ben added.

“Oh, sorry, I’ve got a really bad headache.” The Osmosian explained. “So… are we there yet?” he asked, trying to diffuse the tension in the air.

Merrowww…

“Goongala!” Casey shouted as he jumped the table and sped into the parking lot. The police vehicle chasing him stopped at the edge of the smoothie shop lot, not willing to drive through the crowd of teenagers. He weaved his bike between parked cars and the cop’s backup. A few minutes later the brunette lost his pursuers after taking advantage of the city’s sidewalks, a restaurant, and some of the more narrow alleyways.

Eventually the vigilante made his way into the city’s suburbs. It took a few minutes of aimless wandering before the man realized that he’d forgotten his aunt and cousin’s new address. Parking his bike, he took out his cell and called the house number. His aunt picked up on the second ring.

_“Hello?”_ asked a feminine voice over the line.

“Hey, Auntie E, guess who this is?” he asked, his voice light and playful.

_“Arnie! Kev told me you were coming over today.”_

“Yeah… about that, I kinda forgot the new address.” Jones said nervously.

_“Where are you?”_ She sighed. The brunette cast his baby blue eyes to the nearest street sign to find his bearings.

“Near the corner of Dwayne Rd and Washington St.”

_“Okay take a left and go straight two blocks, turn down McDuffie Drive and we’re house 2211. I’ll open the garage door for you.”_

“Thanks Auntie you’re an angel.”  He said. They both hung-up and the vigilante put his phone back in his pocket. He pulled away from the curb and revved the engine twice before taking off.

It didn’t take long this time to find the house. Casey parked his red and chrome motorcycle next to what could only be his cousin’s lovely green muscle car he heard so much about and behind his aunt’s beautiful black motorcycle. He left his trench coat on his bike and traced a hand over his aunt’s ride; it was still the same since he was a kid. At the front of the car he stopped, eyes widening at the sight, the front of the vehicle was badly crumpled like it had hit something huge. The vigilante had to force himself to calm down reminding himself that his little cousin was okay and had talked to him just last night.

Casey quickly walked up the steps and knocked on the house door. The door opened and he was almost instantly enveloped in a tight hug. Casey returned the smaller woman’s embrace.

“Arnie, long time no see.” Mrs. Levin said, loosening the hug a little to look up at her giant of a nephew (then again her son wasn’t that much smaller).

“Sorry ‘bout that,” He replied smiling sheepishly. He glanced at the totaled vehicle and his smile faded. “So, what happened?” He asked.

“Come inside, we’ll talk over tea.” She sighed.

Merrowww…….

“Levin, she-Tennyson beds; others table.” The tall lean male ordered in clipped tones, barely looking up from the powders he was mixing and separating at the table. The four small rounded flesh-colored horns on his forehead marked him as a fully mature Osmosian. The somewhat oversized tunic and the green Mohawk pulled back into a ponytail made the Plumber look a little strange but the teens followed orders nonetheless; Ben and Julie sat at the table near the door with Max, who was frowning slightly at the Osmosian’s tone. Kevin and Gwen took the only beds left available in the infirmary, the two closest to the grumpy alien, the other beds being occupied by the Plumber’s Helpers and Alan.

Kevin had been nervous about seeing them after Ben had told him that the other teens were there. The young Osmosian knew that he had hurt them badly when he had drained them of their powers and most of their life force when he had been consumed by his appetite for energy. They looked a lot better than he had expected, though. They no longer had that withered husk-like look, now they just looked like they got their asses handed to them: Manny had two arms in a sling, a few bruises, and a few burn marks on his red Tetramand skin. Helen had a wrapped wrist and the end of her tail was missing, not too bad an injury for a Kinecelaran, he knew from experience that it’ll grow back in a few days. Pierce only had a few broken quills and scratches. Alan was the least injured.

They all looked… drained, both literally and figuratively. He greeted them and Max when they spoke to him but otherwise kept to himself, instinctively curling up his knees to his chest and hugging them. Kevin buried his face in his biceps, symbolically hiding his shame like he did when he was a kid. He didn’t really pay attention to the conversations going on around him; too busy reliving the screams of the other Plumber’s kids behind his eyelids as pain flared up in his spine and skull. He didn’t really notice it when the other Osmosian finished checking up on his girlfriend and approached him. Kevin was brought back to the present by a rough hand on his bare shoulder.

<How are you feeling?> Kevin looked up to see orange eyes bore into his obsidian ones. The expression on the other’s narrow face was slightly softer than it was earlier.

<Um…I have a headache and… it feels like my back has a headache, too.> Levin said, self-consciously shifting his position till he was sitting cross-legged on the infirmary bed. <You wouldn’t happen to be Sora, would you?> He asked, observing the other Osmosian take a few tools out of a kit.

<My name is Soran Dorian, yes, my allies do occasionally call me that.> Soran said, his speech smooth in an ambiguous accent. <Don’t blink.> He warned, tilting the younger’s head.

<How do you know my ma?> Kevin asked, resisting the urge to blink as the bright light from the other’s tool entered his eye. He felt his pupil constrict was little more than a pinprick to block out most of the invading light.

<Good.> Dorian said, jotting down notes on his clipboard. <I was a teammate of Devin’s when he was stationed on our home world. I first met your dam when Devin brought her home to meet his clan.> The older male answered before checking his mouth and pulse.

<Are you following my advice? Take off the top, lean forward.> 

<Kinda.> Kevin replied, following the older male’s orders. The other turned on what looked like a handheld scanner before locking their gaze again.

<I noticed. I’m fairly certain the elder Tennyson did as well.> Levin’s eyes dropped in guilt. The healer moved to face the young Plumber’s back.

<I know, I plan on working off my excess energy later today.> Kevin replied, sensing the device move up and down his spine. The older Osmosian finished his examination after having Kevin lie back and using the scanner to check his internal organs.

<For your sake I hope you do hatchling.> The other finally responded.

Merrowww……

Aloysius meditated sitting atop the head of his amphibious companion as it rested in the pond in the woods of his recently purchased farm property. Escaping from prison for the umpteenth time was rather easy after secretly training the local rat population and subsequently mutating the rodents after gaining everything needed to make a trans-modulator. He almost wished that the police had handed him over to the Plumbers to put him in the Null Void with those lovely Guardians, but no, since he wasn’t an alien he didn’t get to go to such a wonderful place.

The white haired man sighed and his mutated frog pet/minion croaked. Instead of moping about his failed plans he decided that he should be figuring out a way to make them work.

Merrowww……

Putting a teapot on the Earthen device Magister Tennyson called a ‘hotplate’, the Healer finished parceling herbal powder for his patients. Nataye tea was good for helping restore one’s life force quickly, usually used after emergency energy transfers it also worked well for drainings. Soran prepared a cup for each of his patients as well as aligning several tea packets next to each one so that the hatchlings will be able to make it when they leave the infirmary. With nothing else to do at the moment the Osmosian removed his favorite tunic, undid the band tying his hair back and gave his head a good shake. In the middle of giving his long arms and back a good stretch he remembered something he forgot to say.

<Levin, before I forget, some cocoa may help with your headaches.> Doran informed the hatchling. Then he added, <But not too much of the cocoa hatchling.>

Kevin gave the Healer a weary nod before laying down on the infirmary bed. The raven haired teen closed his dark rimed eyes and looked very much like he fell asleep.  

“So Soran what’s the verdict?”Max Tennyson asked looking up from his game of dominoes at the mature Osmosian, who looked much more at ease than he did earlier. Unmoving from his supine sprawl on the chair the Healer opened his visible eye and gave the group a good once over.

“Well… the Anodite, the half-Pyronite, and the half-Pinenak should recover swiftly; they do not need to be taken off of active duty. While the half-Tetramand and the half-Kinecelaran do, till their injuries fully heal they’re fairly useless.” The older Osmosian was not blind to the younger one’s cringe at his words. He also noticed the half-Tetramand glare and couldn’t bother himself to care. “Levin needs to be removed from duty for at minimum three to five days for his physical and mental state to fully recover. I would also recommend that he see a, um… what is the word?, psychiatrist about those self esteem and self image  issues and possible depression. The he-Tennyson should see one as well, shapeshifters tend to develop problems.”

“Um, sir, I’m not one of your patients.” Ben pointed out. The alien leveled him with a blank orange stare.

“Am I supposed to care?”

“Dorian.” The elder Tennyson warned, he was not pleased with the Osmosian’s rudeness. “Thank you for the observations, but the attitude isn’t necessary.”

“Magister,” he said almost venomously. “If I had an attitude I would say exactly what I was thinking.” The green haired Osmosian frowned, tilted his head back, and sniffed the air. He recognized who was coming. He groaned.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“We have returned with consumables!”

The infirmary door opened to reveal a tall dark-skinned female and the recently blessed by the puberty fairy Cooper carrying takeout and grocery bags. She looked back and forth between the two adult males and asked, “Is he being a meanie again?”

Kevin couldn’t help but smirk at that.


	5. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team meets Casey Jones.

“Ha, ha, ha. You two should see the looks on your faces!” Ben laughed, occasionally glancing at them through the rearview mirror.

Kevin resisted the urge to kick the driver seat in front of him, if only because the dweeb was the one driving the moving vehicle. After Dr. McGrumpy-Mohawk and Issa Baad (miss tall dark and hot) finished their argument (during which he learned several new Osmosian curse words) Issa served everyone a light lunch. But that wasn’t the reason why his tongue felt like it was about to fall off, no, the food was actually pretty good.  The reason why his taste buds were pissed at him was due to that nasty-ass Natie-something ‘tea’ the healer had his patients drink. It tasted like some unholy cross between mud coffee, pure lemon juice, and wet ash. They were almost back to town and his lips and tongue were still numb.

_Damn, I still gotta drink this shit for the next few days._

“Nuh ‘unny ‘en.” Gwen said, the look on her face almost matched his.

For once the Osmosian really did want a smoothie.

 Merrowww…..

“So… Kev got back in contact with you ‘bout a year or so ago, made some friends, became a Plumber like his Pa, an’ helped save the world.” Casey reviewed, sipping his tea.

“Yep.” Eva Levin-Hackett replied refilling her cup.  

“And the reason Kev’s been missin’ the past few weeks is ‘cause he absorbed energy again to protect his bro and his babe and ta save the universe from anotha Ossey. Then he went onna psycho rampage.” The male rubbed his square chin in thought. “That sucks.”

“Yep.” The female replied after a long draught of tea. “He’s more stable now, but he’s going to be feeling miserable for quite awhile I’m afraid.”

The younger brunette nodded in agreement, he knew that his cousin tended to beat himself up over things like this.

“So…” Mrs. Levin began her own review, “three or so years ago you killed a kid in self defense, became a drunk, and your girlfriend broke up with you.”

“Yep.” Casey sighed, sapphire orbs staring beyond the dark liquid in his cup into the past. He didn’t mention why that particular kill had bothered him so badly, nor did the vigilante mention that he had killed several gangbangers and other criminal scum before that one. It would probably bother his aunt to know what he did while lost in his own darkness and enjoying it before he met the turtles. Neither did he elaborate on his friends in the Hamato family much; ninjas liked it better if folks they haven’t met don’t know about them.

“Then…” the dark eyed woman continued, “You went on a road trip to clear your head and ended up in Colorado. There you met this Gabrielle woman and short story short you two fell for each other and had a baby.”

“Yeah…but I would like to add that she was pregnant when we met.” He replied his voice thick with emotion. Leaning over the Levin laid her head on her nephew’s firm broad chest, her arm snaked around him and gave the larger male a squeeze.

“Sorry she didn’t make it honey.”

“Yeah, me too, but I have Shadow to remember her by, so I’m happy.” Jones replied as he wrapped an arm around the smaller woman’s shoulders and returned her squeeze. “’Sides I love April just as much I love Gabe and she treats Shadow as if she were her own daughter.”

“That’s good dear,” Eva said with a bittersweet smile.

“So, when am I going to get to meet my grandniece?”

Merrowww………

It came to him while meditating, Tennyson could defeat just about any animal he could control on Earth (barring the more dangerous cryptids which he couldn’t control without mind control devices even if he could get that close to put a device on such beautiful creatures; hey, he wasn’t Kur.), so why not use something from off world?  Why not use a creature that has defeated Tennyson before on multiple occasions. A creature that was very easily mutable. For that matter why not turn all of mankind into such beasts?

First things first, he needed to do a little research.

Merrowww……….

The cold thick liquid soothed her tingling tongue. The redhead’s mouth was feeling much better than it had half an hour ago, she could actually taste the blended strawberries and cherries. The Osmosian sitting next to her looked like his own taste buds had recovered, if the fifth dark chocolate and blueberry smoothie he downed was any indication. The Anodite giggled a bit at her boyfriend’s belly, it had distended a bit from the meal Officer Baad had brought them and the smoothies he guzzled. She had honestly never seen him eat so much before. At least not so much that it showed she amended.

“What’s so funny?” Kevin asked, raising a dark eyebrow at her.

“Nothing much—” the redhead replied as she reached over under the table to poke the Osmosian’s full looking belly.  She forgot the rest of what she was saying when he flinched away from her—again. Frowning she brought her hand back without another word _. He’s being so distant today._ She thought to herself. _Is he afraid? Angry? Worried? Is he going through another one of his pity fests and doesn’t think he deserves me again? What is it?_

Gwen was brought out of her thoughts by her cell phone ringing.

Merrowww………..

Gwen had tried to touch him, normally he would enjoy contact with her, but not today. The hybrid didn’t trust himself not to give in to his cravings and drink in her power, she had so much manna that it tended to seep out of her and into the air, like electric charges in a storm. Kevin shuddered and covered his fingers in the table’s metal and shredded the coating a few times to get his mind off the subject. This action did not go unnoticed. The bad boy instead listened to the conversations around him, there was a bit of a buzz about some psycho on a motorcycle.

_“I don’t give a damn about my bad reputation…”_ He watched Gwen take out her phone and check the caller ID.

“’Bad Reputation’?” Kevin asked playfully, she could tell that it was a little forced. “I wouldn’t have thought you had something like that as your ringtone, miss good girl.”

“Doofus,” Ben said laughing a bit. “That’s not Gwen’s ringtone for herself, that’s the one for when you call her.”

“Oh,” The Osmosian replied, hoping no one saw the blush creeping up his neck. “It’s fitting then.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m checking the caller ID because you’re right here next to me.” She responded.

Kevin stroked his square jaw for a bit, and then he suggested:

“It might be my Ma; I think I left my cell at the house so she prob’ly has it.”

“Oh.” The Anodite replied as she answered the phone. “Hello?”

_“Hi Gwen,”_ The female Levin greeted. _“Do you mind telling me where you guys are?”_

“We’re downtown at Mr. Smoothie’s.” The female Tennyson answered.

_“Thanks, dear. How was everybody at Los Soledad?”_

“Besides not being able to feel our tongues for awhile everyone should be recovering quickly.”

_“Ah, Nitaye tea, always works the charm.”_

“You knew?”

_“Honey, you think that’s bad you should try Gootshnk, now that’s a strong drink.”_

A small smile tugged at the corners of Kevin’s lips, there was really only one reason his mom would call and ask where they were.

_So, Camel-Breath finally got here._

………….…………

SLUUUURRRRR. His straw was only slurping up air. Kevin put down the empty cup next to the seven others and massaged his slightly distended belly to distribute the contents of one stuffed stomach to the other two. A thought crossed his mind.

“Hey, we’ve been sitting out here in broad daylight for the past fifteen minutes or so and we haven’t seen a single one of Ben’s rabid fans.”

“Isn’t that a good—” “THERE HE IS!!” Ben was cut off by the aforementioned rabid fans. The teen hero paled and backed into the table. The dark teen felt a twinge of envy toward his friend, while what he said under the influence was said in the most hurtful way possible it was kinda true. He wished that people (more than his mom and friends) would notice his heroics and stuff too. Not that he was the most heroic hero there was. **_Then stop._** His inner voice goaded _. No, I won’t_. The Osmosian thought back, a warning rumble rising from his chest _. A real hero doesn’t need acknowledgement to be heroic… besides Ben’s fans are actually rabid. **How noble.**_ His darker side mocked.

“Should we help him?” Julie’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. Spidermonkey stood on top of the light post surrounded by his adoring fans.

“Uh,’ Gwen responded somewhat distracted by her surreptitious observing of her boyfriend. The redhead looked up at her treed cousin. “Nah, I’m pretty sure they can’t reach him up there. They’ll go away eventually.”

Merrowww………..

The scientist finished the upgrades on his machine and was ready for step three of his brilliant plan. He took his Transmodulator II to the bait platform near the pond. The white haired doctor smirked at the lovely ladies buzzing around the living blood blob in the bowl. Taking aim he fired the machine and within seconds he had a swarm of fifteen dog sized mosquitoes. With a single mental command he sent them to capture or collect a blood sample from the only member of the species he had plans for within light years.

He strolled back to his lab/barn to work on the next phase.

Merrowww………

VVVVVVVVVRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!

The brunette sped along just under the speed limit; it would not be very nice to show up with a posse of police to see his ex-convict little cousin. He rounded the corner to see the shop… and a big blue monkey treed up a light post by a bunch of rabid looking girls and a few boys. Uh, well that’s interesting. The vigilante revved the bike and went flying for the last stretch. The rider and motorcycle flew through the air and landed with a skid towards the tables. The slightly unstable man parked right there and dismounted.

“You know that you’re nuts, right?” The brunette turned towards the familiar voice. He took off his black old school biker helmet.

“That’s what people keep callin’ me.” Casey replied taking a good look at the raven haired boy. Kevin had filled out since the last time he saw him. The memory of a gangly and tall fourteen year old sneaking into his apartment for a visit had grown into a powerful and muscular seventeen year old who looked like he could go toe-to-toe with a posse of Purple Dragons. From the stories he’s been hearing the young Ossey probably could and then some. “And ‘sides Pipsqueak, I know your ma told ya ‘bout callin’ the kettle black.”

“Whatever, Meathead.” The younger cousin replied, somewhat hurt by the comment but refusing to show it. The elder brunet pulled the hybrid into a bear hug that somehow ended up morphing into a wrestling match.

……………………..

The sun was setting painting the sky gold and pink. The dark haired males laid on their backs in the grass watching as the first stars started appearing in the twilight. Crickets had begun chirping their love songs and the park was calm and empty save for them. Casey had decided to come out here after dinner so the two of them could talk. Blue eyes glanced over at the gloomy teenager who did not look like he’d be chatting anytime soon.

“Your friends seem nice.” The man began, breaking the noisy silence of the early night. He had honestly liked his cousin’s teammates and friends. Beside him the teen hybrid’s hands clenched into fists.

“Too nice for their own good.” Kevin sighed; his darker half taunted him with memories of his betrayal. The oldest of the pair kept quiet as the youth let out pent up frustrations. “I tried to kill them for fucks’ sake! They shouldn’t just blow the whole thing off like it was nothing!”

“You want them to hate ya for somethin’ ya did while you’se was outta your mind?” Casey asked so calmly that it just further upset the Osmosian. The older brunette understood what the teen meant; while he hadn’t yet had the unfortunate experience of seriously harming his loved ones while under the influence of his own beast, he understood the fear and uncertainty. He knew the feeling of being trapped between needing the comfort of family and friends and needing to keep them at arm’s length for their own safety. Not that he could put such notions into words as well as he thought them; the blue eyed man had an uncanny knack for putting his foot in his mouth, that’s why he preferred expressing himself through actions.  

“Yes!” The brown eyed teen shouted sitting up. “No.” He said a bit more quietly. “I don’t know.” Kevin lowered his head in shame and bewilderment; rough hands dug rivets in the turf. The Jones sat up as well. He watched the stars that had fully come out, shining against the blue black backdrop of the night, and mentally braced himself for a likely punch from the upset Levin. “I mean what I did was unforgivable. What I said and…fuck, I was no better than a wild animal for what I did… tried to do to Gwen.”

Merrowww……….

“Your right, your buddies should hate you,” Kevin flinched at the older fighter’s harsh words. Casey’s blue eyes were as cold as ice and his glare was as sharp as a taedenite dagger. “If your too much of a punk to get over this shit and man up instead of beatin’ yourself up over what ya did while you’se was otta it, _I’ll_ beat the shit out of ya for you!” The older male stood and looked down on him. The ex-con felt his own temper rising as he got to his feet to stare the other in the eye.

“Yeesh, nice way of cheeri—” “Shut the fuck up, I wasn’t done yet.” The vigilante interrupted with a hard punch to the Osmosian’s gut.  The air rushed out of the raven haired teen’s lungs and he hunched a bit.

“It’s a waste of time and energy,” The vigilante growled, the grabbed the young Plumber’s chin and forced him to make eye contact. “Why not instead use that time an’ energy to make yourself strong enough that ya can make sure you don’t have to ever resort to loosin’ control ta protect your peeps again?”

Kevin pulled back quickly after the other let go. He watched the angry vigilante for a moment as his words sunk in. Obsidian eyes widened in realization and the other watching him’s expression morphed from barely restrained fury to a relaxed goofy grin. The Levin felt a spike of irritation run through him but couldn’t stop the smirk spreading across his own features.

“Anyone ever tell you that your one psychotic bastard?” Kevin said before slugging the other.

 Soon enough they were both on the ground worn out from a little less than friendly wrestling match, working out pent up frustrations in a way that worked better than words for them.

“You know I’m going to have to find a teacher.” The hybrid huffed somewhat exhausted.  

“No prob’, ya know you could get in contact with an Ossey plumber easy. Your pa had plenty of friends that prob’ly wouldn’t mind helpin’ ya out.” Casey replied. He frowned slightly.

“Do you hear that?”

BBBUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!


	6. Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The universe is unkind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beware of blood and body horror.

The night air filled with the sound of buzzing wings. Compound eyes glittered in the moonlight and long proboscises dripped saliva. The brunettes were surrounded by over a dozen giant insects.

“I thought New York has big bugs.” Casey whistled as he rolled up his sleeves. “And me without my flyswatta.”

The mutant mosquitoes circled before diving at the males. Kevin leapt away from the attack and headed towards Casey’s bike. The Osmosian dipped left and right as he dodged dives from the dog sized bugs. Cold metal slid over his skin covering his form and he socked one of the creepy crawlies knocking it to the ground.

“Yo Kev! I could use some help ova here!” Casey shouted as he flipped onto the back of one of the blood drinking creatures and drove it into another. The older brunette jumped off at the last second and kicked one more in the head on the way down.  The younger fighter responded by morphing his hands into hammers and charging in.

………………………..

“Ahh!” Kevin screamed as the insect’s proboscis cut through his armor and the skin beneath it, another bug had his legs pinned as it too cut into his flesh. The Osmosian was learning something new about insects, they were pretty strong.

“Whoa! Whoa!” The hybrid could tell that the vigilante needed help so he fought to get free of the mutant mosquitoes. Freeing an arm the brunette morphed his hand into a mace and gave the bug pinning his torso a good few whacks. Suddenly the insects let go of him and flew higher into the sky. The teen got to his feet feeling much heavier than he should have and looked toward where he last saw the vigilante. Obsidian eyes widened at the sight, the older man was several yards in the air being carried by the mutants, his struggles growing weaker as they drank his blood.

“No…” He uttered before collapsing to the ground, blood loss taking its toll as the world faded to darkness.

Merrowww…………

_This is unexpected, to say the least_. Animo thought as he examined the dark haired man strapped to the medical table. His pets had come back hours ago with the right samples in their bellies but brought back the wrong individual. The mad scientist decided that he shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth and made measures to keep his new test subject alive. The white haired veterinary doctor stuck a needle in one of his captive’s wrists for the transfusion and patched up the bug bites.

Certain that the younger man was no longer in danger of dying he went back to his work.

Merrowww………………..

The auburn haired girl giggled as she climbed into bed. She had had fun meeting her boyfriend’s cousin, but she had to agree with Kevin, Casey was definitely a few paddles short of a full rowboat.  The Anodite had been struck by the family resemblance between them: similar chins, noses, hair, and builds, similar tastes in clothes and hobbies. If she hadn’t known any better, she would have thought they were siblings. However, Gwen couldn’t help but feel a little jealous at how easily the Osmosian seemed to cheer up around his older cousin.

BRRIINNNGGGG. BRRIINNGGGG.

She groaned and rolled over to face the opposite wall. Pulling the covers up further, the overworked girl hoped the ringing would stop soon. _It’s probably just Ken again._ She thought as she closed her eyes.

BEE-BEEP. BEE-BEEP. BEE-BEEP.

“What now?” The redhead groaned as she turned over to pick up her badge. Soft slender fingers pressed the black and green face plate. She brought the device to her face to read the message. _Strange,_ she thought. _Usually messages were holographic._  

Emerald eyes widened at what she read.

………………..

“Is he okay?!”  Gwen blurted as she burst through the doors to the infirmary. The wielder of the Ultimatrix followed close behind the semi-panicked sorceress. A slim hand flew to her mouth as she approached the infirmary bed.

“Oh gods.” The redhead gasped at the sight. Kevin laid there still as a corpse and much paler than normal. The young Osmosian was bleeding freely from several odd holes on his shoulders, chest, and legs, the dark crimson fluid staining his clothes and blending in with what looked like fragments of metallic red armor. What freaked her out the most was that his broad chest was as still as the rest of him, there was none of the up and down movements indicating that her boyfriend was even breathing. Ben put a hand on her shoulder and held her close as she began to cry into his shoulder.

“What are you wailing about she-Tennyson?” Soran snapped as he started tearing armor and clothing away from the wounds. The Osmosian Healer was stressed enough as it was and he didn’t need any whining to distract him from his work.  

“Lay off man!” Ben started his chest tight and eyes tearing. “She’s got the right to feel something since Kev—”

“Is alive but heavily injured? You humans are so soft.” The green haired alien interrupted. Orange eyes narrowed as he examined the holes. “Issa! Te neen dan?” He barked.

“Eih.” The dark skinned female replied as she brought over a bowl containing some purplish mush. The olive skinned male gave her a curt nod of thanks.

“Wait, wah?” The brunette said, brows knitting together in confusion. His raven haired teammate looked… well pretty dead from where he stood. Gwen looked up, her eyes glowed magenta for a moment before she perked up.

“He’s right Ben. Kevin’s alive, I can feel his manna, but it’s very weak.” The Anodite confirmed, the feeling of despair left her while worry took its place. The green haired alien ignored them in favor of rubbing the paste in the hatchling’s wounds. The effect was immediate; soon after application the bleeding slowed then stopped completely.

“I’m with Ben on this one, Kev really looks dead.” Peirce spoke up from his bed. Several of the other Plumber’s Helpers nodded in agreement. Max herded his grandchildren over to the tables where Harvey served hot cocoa. The balding man sat down next to his estranged wife and put a comforting arm around her shoulder as she stared into the hot liquid.

“I take it you peoples do not know much of Osmosian biology do you?” Issa asked as she helped Soran seal the hatchling’s wounds. Liquid metal flowing from slender calloused fingers pinching the flesh on either side of the hole together covering it and sealing it closed. At the confused looks that most of the room was giving her she explained:

“Understand when we Osmosians are heavily injured or ill or over exhausted our bodies can…how do I say this? Ah, yes! Our bodies can go into a state of torpor to recover our strength. We can build up potential energy from simply being very very still and use it to heal. It helps also that most predators on our mother world prefer live looking prey, yes?” Her olive green eyes roamed over the unconscious Osmosian checking that all of his wounds were sealed. The lean female brushed her companion’s shoulder to catch his attention.

“Unfortunately, Levinson has lost far too much ichor to recover by himself. He will need a transfusion or three.” Soran announced as he stood up. “Eva, come with me please.”

…………………..

“So what happened?” Her cousin asked looking rather angry. No one got away with hurting his family or friends when he was around. The blue eyed man took a few sips from his mug before sitting it down.

“After dinner Kevin and Casey went to the park to talk. Eva and I were catching up and she introduced Officers Dorian and Badd to me, friends of hers and Devin’s.”  Harvey started, smiling a bit at the memory of the pair’s oddness. Then the near middle age man frowned recalling the rest. “After awhile the ladies decided to spy on the kids and dragged me and Soran along. The place looked like a battlefield. There were trees broken; the turf was shredded in places, and a few of these big mosquitoes looking things on the ground. We found Casey’s bike first, it was all scratched up, the motor was still running, and had pieces of a giant bug jammed in the front tire.

“We found Kevin not too far away. He looked much worse when we got to him.” The middle-aged man shivered at the image of his stepson laying there in the grass, oddly pale and covered in blood. “It’s a good thing Dorian was there; he helped stabilize Kev’s wounds and move him to the jeep faster than it would have taken an ambulance to get there. We didn’t see Casey…”

Merrowww………

_Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_ The vigilante thought as he watched the white haired mad scientist work on his machine thing. _It’s just a short family visit; I’ll only be gone for a few days. What’s the worst that could happen? I knew I shoulda brought my gear! But noooo! I just had ta walk out the door without it. Idiot._

The burly man pulled and pushed against his restraints to no avail. He was still weakened from his encounter with the doctor’s pets. He slumped back against the slab sighing in irritation and boredom. The worst part of this being Dr. Crazy Animal Whisperer’s captive was the monolouging. The damn old man just wouldn’t shut. The. Fuck. Up! Seriously, if he had to listen to another hour of this corny whackbag talking to himself he was gonna go nuts… again.  

“Listen Doc, while I’d love to sit around an’ listen to ya stories I really aughta be headin’ back to my cuz’s place. So if you don’t mind loosening these straps here.” Casey suggested. The cackling of said mad scientist as he approached told him more than enough.

“Sorry my friend but I don’t receive many opportunities to test my inventions on human subjects,” Dr. Animo (see he had been listening to the old fart) said menacingly as he slipped a metallic device on his forehead.  The pale doctor began loosening the restraints. “I implore you to stay for awhile longer.”

Strange. He should have socked the wannabe doctor Frankenstein as soon as he had an arm free, undid the rest, and got the hell out of dodge. Thing was, his body wasn’t listening to him. It calmly got up and stood next to the table ignoring his input to fight or escape.

“What did you do ta me?!” The vigilante turned meatpuppet growled, his voice promising a world of pain for the good doctor at the first opportunity. At least he could speak he mused, if only he could get his body to do something more useful.

“Mind control headbands my dear boy,” The white haired man told him tapping his own. “It makes the other wearers nice and obedient…whether or not they want to be. Now please move into the stable.”

His feet moved him into an empty hay lined stable. In the next stable over some sort of mutant parrot-horse thing watched him in curiosity. He jumped and shouted his famous battle cry at the thing and chuckled a bit as it ran to the other side of its lodgings. He saw the doctor approaching with the machine he had been tinkering with earlier. At the thought command he turned to face his master (no, the dude who kidnapped him). The older man turned on the odd looking contraption which hit him with a black ray of light.

The vigilante raised an eyebrow as the ray appeared to do noth—holy shit that hurt!

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!” A scream tore itself from his throat as he doubled over in pain. Liquid fire filled his veins as his joints popped and his organs rearranged themselves. A second pair of limbs ripped themselves out of his sides and his spine elongated, the end freeing itself from his backside and pants. The sound of fabric tearing and bones cracking filled his ears as he grew, his frame twisting out of proportion and filling with grossly oversized muscle. The sharp tang of blood mixed with the scent of hay and animal waste in his nostrils as four appendages split the flesh of his now massive back. They stretched and grew till the tips touched the walls and then some before falling as limp as rags by his sides. His skin continued to split and stretch and twist across his form as it became a mosaic of scales and fur, crystal and metal, plant matter and chitinous exoskeleton. Mercifully, the darkness of unconsciousness claimed him at last.

“Magnificent…”

Merrowww……….

The Osmosian watched as his near double started to come to. Kevin’s broad chest quickly pumped up and down, greedily sucking in oxygen. Obsidian eyes blinked open and the hybrid lurched upright suddenly.

“I wouldn’t be moving around so much if I were you, bro.” The Ultimatrix wielder grinned as he gently pushed the other Osmosian back into the bed with a broad hand. He was genuinely happy that his best friend was no longer doing a very good impression of a corpse. “How ya feeling?”

“Better… dude you sound weird.” The hybrid replied rubbing a sore wound on his chest. Looking over at his friend he raised an eyebrow at the green eyed fully grown… him grinning at him. The Ultimatrix symbol sitting in the middle of the other’s barrel chest told him that it was one of Ben’s transformations. It was kinda weird. “Ok, I know I’m awesome but why?”

“Like it huh?” The human turned Osmosian preened. “I call him Contact.” Getting serious green eyes looked over the other’s wounds again. The nearly empty bag of dark crimson fluid connected to the IV needed to be changed soon.

“Kev, you lost a lot of blood… you needed a transfusion and your mom wasn’t exactly the best match. So Dorian and I had an, um, interesting conversation with Azmuth.” Contact chuckled at the image of the two grumps snarking at each other till the green mohawked doctor effectively won. “So what happened in the park?”

“Me and Case got ambushed by a swarm of mosquitoes.” At the eerily familiar eyebrow raise his Ultimatrix counterpart gave him, he elaborated. The thin doctor brought over another transfusion bag. “We were kinda already exhausted from ‘conversing’ and there were a lot of bugs… Oh, shit! Casey!” Kevin bolted up in the infirmary cot again.

“He got snatched up by those bug things!” The raven-haired teen winced in pain as he held his side. “We have to find him.”

“You are not going anywhere hatchling.” The orange-eyed Healer snapped as he pushed the hatchling back down. “You still have healing to do.”

“Dorian’s right Kev, if we need backup we’ll call.”

……………………

The green sneaker floated at an unbearably slow pace. Gwen floated behind it sitting in the lotus position.

“Can you go any faster?” Ben groaned as he trudged along after her. To emphasize his boredom he walked nearly doubled over with his arms drooping at his sides. Julie giggled at his side with Ship in her arms. She took up his invitation since she had some free time between practices.

“Ben, I’m going as fast as I can.” The slightly sleep deprived Anodite snapped back at her human cousin. “It’s not my fault that bugs don’t fly in straight lines.”

The brunette walked a bit straighter since his back was starting to hurt. The green-eyed boy consented that she had a point; they’d gone from one side of town to the other and nearly everywhere in between. It was almost as if the bugs had tried to throw them off the trail.

…………………….

“We’re here.” Gwen stood as the shoe rotated around a barn. It obviously wasn’t abandoned since there were all sorts of animals running around, not only normal ones either. Some strange mutated beasts watched them as they explored following the green shoe.

“I’ll give you three guesses who owns this place,” Ben quipped seeing a stall with some sort of parrot-horse hybrid in it. “The first two don’t count.”

The shoe stopped in front of the next stall over and waited for someone to open the door. Ben helped his cousin with the heavy door while Jules and Ship checked out the mini-lab in the main part of the barn. Neither Tennyson was prepared for the sight inside: there were smears of deep red all over the walls and a metallic scent hung in the air. The sneaker twirled around the shredded remains of its blood stained twin and a few drying pools of the fluid and torn cloth.

“Oh no…”  

Merrowww………….

The chimera growled at his master but was physical unable to attack the white haired scientist as he carried the large pieces of equipment for him. He had no problem in doing his work, his many mismatched limbs and enormous strength made even the most awkward bundle manageable, but still he was angry. He couldn’t quite remember why but something told him that the human had wronged him somehow.

Once finished with the heavy lifting the scientist gave the mutant a mental command. Spreading broad blue and translucent green wings, the beast fluttered to the rafters of the observatory with the mosquitoes. Wrapping his striped tail around one of the beams and digging in his talons the hybrid took a moment to rest.

Merrowww………………..

<It appears that your body has used up the last of that excess energy.> Soran commented as he moved the scanner across the hatchling’s torso. Since the second time he changed the ichor bag the color had begun to return to Levinson’s skin. Confident that the insect bites were healed the olive skinned Osmosian liquefied and removed the red metal patches. Tracing long fingers on the fresh skin, he noted that the scars would last for quite awhile.

<That’s good,> Kevin replied as he pulled the blue-grey ‘t-shirt’ his dam had brought over from their den. The green mohawked Healer had no clue why anyone would where such a piece of clothing that covering in such pleasant weather, he himself could barely stand to where his Plumber uniform for more than an hour on such a nice day. Sitting up, the young Osmosian watched Dorian with a concerned look. <When can I go help look for Casey?>

The Healer sighed and gave the ex-con an orange glare. He removed the needle from the other’s wrist and patched the small hole with a layer of keratin.

<Be careful and avoid fighting if possible.> It was probably a futile request but he made it anyway. He barked an order to his companion and teammate, <Go with him. Drive. Keep him safe.>

<Yes sir.> The orange haired female replied grabbing the keys to one of the military vehicles.

…………….

Kevin held onto the seat and door for dear life as Issa drove the military vehicle. The skinny dark brown alien seemed to have no regard for the rules of the road: speeding mostly, stopping at odd times, and not really watching the road itself. Thankfully, she did avoid hitting anyone. She also made no attempt to hide the small brown horns poking through her short cropped orange hair, even if Earth was a closed system.

 Then again, she was an alien. Why in the world should he expect her to know much about terrestrial four wheeled Earth vehicles? From the way her thigh muscles twitched and ankles moved as she used the peddles suggested that she normally straddled whatever vehicle she rode. In addition, the manner of how the skinny chick leaned with the movements of the car hinted at kinesthetic steering device.

The drab green vehicle came to a sudden stop and the brunette was thrown forward suddenly. He was thankful that the seatbelt kept him flying through the windshield. Wincing he rubbed his barrel chest to ease the pain the impact caused him.

<I apologize hatchling,]>Issa said as she ignored the beeping of the vehicles around her. <But how are we going to find your court and troop?>

<Do you not have your, um… badge?> The youth asked incredulously. Without her badge, how would she be able to prove that she wasn’t trespassing? Issa didn’t exactly strike the ex-con as someone who could blend in with human society well.

<No, Sora and me are here on this little planet as a request and to relax.> The grass green eyed Osmosian blinked as if it were that simple. <We left our Plumber issue carry-markings in our ship. Do you not have yours Levinson?>

<No, it’s in my other pants.> The hybrid conceded looking down at the black jeans he had quickly changed into before heading out. So how were they going to find Gwen and everybody else on the search for Casey? _Think, think_ , how would he find… Gwen. His girlfriend’s an Anodite, an energy being. He managed to track her down once, maybe… <Do—do you think we could find them by following Gwen’s energy signature?>

The female gave him a closed mouthed grin and made a loud sound in her chest, like a big cat purring:

<Very clever.>

Merrowww…………………

“ANIMO! Where is he!!” Humungousaur bellowed at the mad scientist. The anthropomorphic dinosaur alien swatted another one of the dog-sized mosquitoes that decided to bite him. Gwen was using two large magenta shields to keep a couple of bugs off her. Manna beams from her eyes shot down one that came around to her other side. In the air Julie, wearing Ship in a winged version of his battle suit mode was holding her own.

His group had followed Casey’s sneaker from barn after it finished circling around in the stall that looked like it was from a scene in a slasher flick. The wielder of the Ultimatrix was royally pissed at the thought that the doctor had seriously harmed his best friend and did who knows what to Kev’s cousin. When they had arrived at the abandoned observatory, the doctor had set the swarm of giant bugs on the heroes as he continued his modifications on the telescope. The misanthrope had also ranted something about bouncing some sort of ray off a satellite and transforming all of humanity into some kind of ultimate creature.

Cackling the evil vet gave them a wicked smile as he signaled to something out of sight. Finished with the last of the insects the orange reptilian charged the round building. He did not expect to get thrown back by a torrent of flame.

Glowing green eyes appeared in the shadows behind Dr. Animo.

Merrowww…………

It was like one of those nightmares when he was outside his own body watching himself rampage. Except this time, it was more than real. He watched as a near lookalike of his newer 11-mutation swing a taedenite arm morphed into a club and shatter Gwen’s shield. Julie was trying to bring a dazed and transformed Ben back to his senses. The beast reached for the slim girl with bright yellow lips pulled back in a feral grin.

Kevin slammed himself into the crystal limb knocking it away from the distressed sorceress. The hybrid winced at the feeling of his cement armor cracking but kept his wits about him. Gripping the limb, he twisted around slammed his heel into the chimera’s temple forcing it back a few feet. The crossbreed landed catlike in front of his girl.

“Kevin, its Casey.” Gwen breathed into his ear. She was visibly disturbed and upset at the sight of the transformed vigilante. No wonder, the reminder of his own recent monstrosity sent shivers down his spine. It was probably why she was only fighting defensively, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to harm him when his appetite drove him to hunt her and she wasn’t able to truly harm his mind-controlled cousin. Sigh, definitely too nice for her own good.

**“That wasn’t very nice of youze cuz’.”** the chimera growled frowning as his massive taedenite hand rubbed the sore spot. Yellow lips returned to a semi psychotic grin exposing sharp Piscciss Volann fangs. **“How ‘bout we wrasel a bit, huh, Kevy?”**

“Sure thing SpaceCase.”

Merrowww…………..

He had hoped to activate the final step in his brilliant plan while his new pet ‘played’ with Ben Tennyson and his friends. Aloysius did not expect to be attacked by a random Black woman. Really, who planned for that sort of thing?

“Aloysius James Animo, by the authority of the Plumbers I place you under arrest,” She dodged under his punch and slammed her own fist into his gut with inhuman strength. While he was winded, she swung her leg and hit the side of the human’s knee bringing him to the ground. Grabbing a handful of long white hair the Osmosian leapt onto the human’s back and lightly slammed his head into the floor. While he was still semi conscious, she finished, “You’re charged with kidnapping, assault with deadly life forms, and attempted forceful change of species of others. I would show you my badge but I don’t have it on me at the moment.”

_Neither do I have my cuffs for that matter_. Issa thought to herself.  After a moment, she had the criminal tusk-beak tied with her breast bindings. Snatching the master mental control band from his brow the dark brown-skinned female crushed it in her palm.

She wondered how things were going outside.

Merrowww…………….

He whipped his striped tail into his cousin’s midsection nearly knocking him out before snatching him out of midair with one of his furry lower arms and tossing at the red haired girl. She caught her boyfriend in a magenta bubble that tickled his senses in an odd but interesting way. The Levin mumbled incoherently as the Tennyson tried to rouse him and his armor dropped as he ran out of strength.   

He knew that he shouldn’t be taking so much glee from being made to fight for a master he disliked but he loved fighting. It excited him and focused his damaged mind in was that very few things could. It made him fearless and left him feeling near invincible. His transformed body seemed to agree whole-heartedly as he moved at an impossible speed for something as bulky as he to meet the charge of the now green anthro dino. Locking hands the ankylosaur was pushed back several yards as they tested their strength against each other. The chimera sensed that while he was the physically stronger combatant, the other’s greater height was providing leverage that prevented him from pushing the reptilian over. Smirking, the mountain of mixed alien parts flung his cloth like blue upper wings over his opponent’s armored head blinding him. He let go of one of the hero’s arms to get a better grip on the other and tossed the taller transformed human over his shoulder.

Before he could deliver a finishing blow, the Japanese chick shot him with green laser beams. The light energy was absorbed by his body and both his eyes and purple shoulder crystals glowed with a rainbow of colors as he returned fire. Unfurling his wings from their cape like resting form, he flapped once launching himself into the air. With powerful wing strokes the chimera the mini-mecha through the sky. Inhaling deeply he built up fluid in the back of his throat, splitting his lower jaw he exhaled forcefully spitting sticky silk onto the exhaust ports on her battle suit. Unable to sustain flight she began to fall from the sky. His mind sort of twitched as the device on his scaly forehead went out. Stalling midair his translucent lower wings buzzed helping keep his bulk hovering in place. He rubbed the device off his skin and dove. He caught the armored girl before she crashed and gently lowered her to the ground.

Grinning fiercely, the freed chimera galloped towards the observatory. Near blinded by fury he intended to carry out his promise with the doctor. In the dome shaped building he paused and sniffed, the air entering and exiting the gill-like slits on the sides of his throat, his eyes were still adjusting to the dim half-light of the indoors.    

“Casey calm down!” The hybrid leapt onto his massive back and put him in a headlock. On all fours, he shook like a dog as he tried to get his cousin off of him.  The much smaller young man quickly jumped off the chimera. The furious hulk went to stand only to be flattened by a wall of hard pink energy.

“Now Ben!” Gwen signaled to a weird crab-lookin’ thing. It pointed Dr. Animo’s ray shooting thing-a-mah-bobby as it jabbered on and on with big words that he didn’t understand. It actually bored him enough that his quelled on its own. “Ben!” The redhead scolded. It finally shut up the walking seafood platter and it shot him with a bright white ray. The teens frowned when the blast appeared to do nothing, knowing better, the mutated vigilante braced himself.

**“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!”** He couldn’t stop the scream as agonizing pain filled his veins again. His claws gouged through the cement floor as his frame began to shrink and become more humanly proportional. His tail shrunk and slunk back into his backside. His lower arms and wings shriveled as they retreated into his body. The tough mosaic of fur and scales, exoskeleton and vegetation, and metal and crystal cracked and crumbled off revealing soft human flesh. The vigilante groaned once before succumbing to the darkness of unconsciousness and exhaustion.

“Well, that was interesting… so are we going to go back to The Lonely Place soon, I would like to get some proper handcuffs so I can rewrap chest.”


	7. Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The epilogue?

Kevin grinned underneath his surgical mask as they finished applying a fresh coat of paint on his ride. His, unfortunately, normal routine of fixing the repeatedly totaled car was over in half the time with his older cousin helping out. Thankfully, the Tetramand made indestructible engine block meant that they didn’t have to start from scratch. Oddly, the vigilante knew more about alien tech than he would have guessed for someone born and raised on this low tech planet. Then again, New York was an odd place and he did mention that his best friend’s brother was some sort of tech geek supergenius.

“Boys, snack break!” His mother’s voice reached them seconds before his nostrils filled with the scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and the subtle odor of cold milk. The older brunette opened the garage door to let out the fumes and the both of them pulled down their masks. The younger brunette took out a rag from his back pocket and wiped grease from his hands and face. He rubbed a big smear off his sweaty chest before he tossed it to Casey. They had to close the door earlier since it had gotten more than a bit hot forcing them to go nude from the waist up and far too many passersby had stopped and stared. It was a little more than distracting and you didn’t want to be distracted while using a welding torch.

He also did it out of respect for Gwen. He knew his girl wouldn’t be too happy with random chicks checking out his massive hotness after all he’d put her through recently. Speaking of Gwen, she was taking a day off to catch up on her sleep on his insistence and a cranky green mokawked doctor’s orders. It had greatly upset him when Ben told him that she had been running herself ragged the past few weeks cleaning up after him on top of her regular schoolwork and other Plumber duties. She really needed someone better than him but since she disagreed he’d just have be better for her.

“ _Mom_.” The half-human hybrid groaned when his mother ruffled their long dark locks in an affectionate manner. Casey’s mouth was too stuffed full of cookies to reply (he wasn’t too old that he wouldn’t get a good smack if he forgot his manners) he only gave her a smile. “You headin’ back today?”

“Yep, but we’re gonna make sure that our rides are workin’ right first.” A mischievous glint shone in his baby blue orbs. “Hows ‘bout you an’ me have a little race, bro?”

Merrowww………………..

VVVVVRRRROOOOOMMMM. VVVVVVVRRRRRRRROOOOMMMM.

Revving his bike the vigilante waited for his aunt to signal them to start. His ex-con cousin had insisted that they give his old bike a makeover after cleaning the mosquito parts out of it and he had to say that the motorcycle never looked better. He also managed to get a few upgrades after seein’ just what kind of stuff was under Kev’s hood.

The slim woman brought her bandanas in her hands up over her head then quickly dropped into a crouch, bringing them to the ground. Both vehicles zoomed forward pass her causing her long raven locks to billow in the breeze. Eva Levin stood and watched them until they were out of sight. Once they disappeared over the horizon, she turned and headed deeper into Los Soledad.

………………

The green muscle car held the lead on the open road but his now black bike had the advantage on the crowded streets and alleyways. His cousin pulled ahead again when they reached the highway, winning the race. That was cool with him. They waved their goodbyes and the other turned back towards the town.

The blue-eyed man revved the engine twice and sped up, enjoying the feel of the wind against his tanned skin. He grinned at the prospect of coming back and introducing Shadow to her grandaunt. His grin faltered a bit at the holes in his recollection of the trip. From when he woke up to Dr. Crazy Pants to the time when he woke up in an infirmary bed to Auntie E’s grumpy green haired friend. Whatever had happened, he must have been outside to long cause it felt like he was coming down with a cold.

AAAAAACHOOOOO!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bloodier and more TMNT heavy sequel, Metamorphosis, is currently in progress.


End file.
